Resilient wheel.



E. MAEHR.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

APPLICATION F1111) JAN. 2, 1914.

1911 @3139@ Patented May16, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

FIG. Z

H T TY.

E. MAEHR.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

' APPUcATxoN FILED 1AN.2. 1914.

11. 91 855939@ Patented May 16, 1916.

EMIL MAEHR, 0F ENID, OKLAHOMA.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

Specication of etters Patent.

Patented May 16, 1916.

Application led January 2, 1914. Serial No. 810,089.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EMIL MAEHR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Enid, i'n the county of Garfield and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Resilient Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in resilient wheels and it has for its objects to produce a wheel, adapted primarily for use on automobiles, provided with a particular type of hub and rim which members are connected by spokes that are directly mounted in flexible supports.

The construction of the hub, rim and spokes and their connection is such that the wheel may be equipped with a solid rubber tire and still possess the resiliency of an ordinary wheel that is equipped with a pneumatic tire.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter fully described in the following specification, pointed out in the claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part of said specification and in which- Figure 1 illustrates a portion of a wheel, partly in section, constructed along the lines of my invention. Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 illustrates a portion of my wheel, partly in section, showing the position of certain liexible parts when directly sustaining the load. Fig. 4 is a view of one hub, partly in section, and a portion of a spoke, in section, showing the manner of securing the two elements together and is taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 6. Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the bridge plates employed. Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 4.

Like reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views.

My wheel comprises a hub having a double metallic plate 1 to carry the axle of the vehicle and about its periphery a plurality of integral metal blocks 2 are formed which are of greater vthickness than the plate 1 and which are spaced apart by narrow necks of metal 3. Adjacent blocks 2 are connected to each other by outer and inner bridge plates 4 and 5 respectively which plates are apertured as at 6, centrally,

to permit passage therethrough of the tapered end of one of thespokes 7 and said bridge plates are also slotted at each end as at 8, 8 to permit passage therethrough of sultable fastening means. EachA spoke 7 is formed with a shoulder 9 which abuts the plate 4 when said spoke is in position and prevents movement longitudinally of `said spoke in one direction and upon its threaded termination said spoke is provided with a nut 10 which prevents its longitudinal movement in the opposite direction.

Each spoke 7 is further provided, near its opposite termination, with a nut or collar 12 which abuts a plate or band 13 that is flexibly supported, in a manner to be hereinafter described, inside the approximately lU-shaped rim 14 'of the wheel and to said rim the solid rubber tire 15 is secured by means of clencher bands 16, 16 and screws 17 as best illustrated in Fig. 2.

Beyond the collar 12 the spoke is reduced in diameter and passed through an aperture in the band 13 and beyond this band the spoke is also passed through an aperture in a leaf spring 18 and terminated in a head 19, a collar or nut 20 being disposed upon the spoke to retain the spring against said head. Directly opposite each head 20 of each spoke the rim 14 is apertured as at 21 to permit passage therethrough of said head when the load carried is suflicient to depress the band 13 thereby permitting the maximum amount of shock absorption by the wheel. Between the band 13 and the rim 14 a plurality of semi-elliptical springs 18, previously mentioned, are disposed the ends of which are apertured and placed upon or beneath the ends of the adjacent springs, as best shown in Fig. 1 and thespring ends are secured by a bolt 22 to the band 13 and to a box 23 disposed upon the end of the top spring 18. One end of a stout spiral spring 24 is also disposed in the box 23 about the bolt 22 and extends to the base of the rim 14 where it is terminally secured to the same as at 25. It is apparent that the structure just described is the means that flexibly supports the band 13 inside the rim 14 and that tends greatly to absorb the shock due to travel over rough roads and to jars and jolts generally; the shock absorption is greatly assisted also by the spoke ends in connection with the springs 18 previously described and also by the bridge plates in connection with the spokes.

What is claimed is In aA wheel, a hub comprising spaced plates, blocks spaced apart and connecting said plates, apertured necks formed integral with said blocks and connecting the same, upper and lower apertured bridge plates connecting said blocks, a U-shaped apertured rim, and spokes having their outer ends disposed in said rim and terminating adjacent the apertures therein and their inner ends projected through the said bridge plates and -the said apertured necks and positively secured to the said bridge plates.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto alixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EMIL MAEHR. Witnesses J. W. MAEHR, I. N. BRYAN. 

